Thursday, April 19, 2012

Cracking Down on Oil Market Manipulation

April 17, 2012
04:37 PM EDT

President Barack Obama announces a plan to increase oversight and crack down on manipulation in oil markets (April 17, 2012)

President Barack Obama delivers a statement announcing a plan to increase oversight and crack down on manipulation in oil markets, in the Rose Garden of the White House April 17, 2012. Standing with the President from left are: Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chairman Gary Gensler, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, Attorney General Eric Holder and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Jon Leibowitz. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

Lately, President Obama has spent a lot of time discussing his all-of-the-above strategy for American energy.
The central idea is this: It's going to take a range of initiatives, from increased drilling to scientific breakthroughs in the development of renewable fuel sources, to put the United States on solid footing when it comes to our energy future.
But one of the reasons that fuel prices can jump unpredictably has nothing at all to do with production or even consumption. There are those who work to manipulate the energy markets for their own financial gain.
And today, President Obama announced a new series of steps to strengthen oversight over those markets -- while asking lawmakers to pass legislation aimed at curbing illegal behavior and holding the people who manipulate markets accountable.
At an event this morning in the Rose Garden, the President outlined the reasons for action:

We can't afford a situation where speculators artificially manipulate markets by buying up oil, creating the perception of a shortage, and driving prices higher -- only to flip the oil for a quick profit. We can’t afford a situation where some speculators can reap millions, while millions of American families get the short end of the stick. That’s not the way the market should work. And for anyone who thinks this cannot happen, just think back to how Enron traders manipulated the price of electricity to reap huge profits at everybody else’s expense.

The President's plan would do five things:
1) Increase funding to increase the number of surveillance and enforcement staff charged with oversight of the oil futures market;
2) Allow the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to upgrade the technology used to monitor the energy markets;
3) Increase the civil and criminal penalties for those convicted of manipulating the oil futures market;
4) Provide the CFTC with additional the authority to limit disruptions in the oil market; and
5) Expand access to CFTC data so that analysts can better understand trading trends in the oil markets.
Read his full remarks here.

April 17, 2012 | 9:09 | Public Domain

President Obama discusses steps his Administration has taken to increase oversight of oil markets and close dangerous loopholes that allow a small numbers of irresponsible traders to hurt consumers by illegally manipulating or rigging the energy markets for their own gain, and calls on Congress to establish additional protections.

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60,000 Veterans and Military Spouses Have Been Hired Through Joining Forces Employment Initiatives Brad Cooper

Awesome, come on lets here it loud and clear HURRAY! Now that is some news everybody should hear. That's the way Mrs Obama makes news. She earned it, the old fashioned way......

Brad Cooper

April 13, 2012
03:34 PM EDT

First Lady Michelle Obama greets people in the crowd at Kansas City Southern Railroad after delivering remarks during a Joining Forces Event in Shreveport, La., April 12, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

It was a great day in Shreveport, Louisiana, yesterday. First Lady Michelle Obama joined the leadership of the Kansas City Southern (KCS) Railway Company in announcing Michael Abitago, Junior as the 50,000veteran or military spouse to have been hired by a company through the Joining Forces employment efforts this past year! Abitago literally left active duty in the Army last Saturday after 4 years of service (including 2 tours in Iraq) and starts work on Monday as a Conductor-trainee. He was hired by KCS in mid-March at a Joining Forces hiring event in Ft Hood, Texas.
And there’s even more great news. A couple of months ago when we first wanted to highlight this event, we had planned on announcing our 50,000hire. But as we approached our visit to Shreveport we had already hit that mark. By April another 8,000 veterans and military spouses were hired. And yesterday, Mrs. Obama revealed the news that the surge in hiring pushed the number of veterans and military spouses hired through Joining Forces to 60,000!
Through Joining Forces, American businesses have not only hired more than 60,000 veterans and military spouses to date, they have also pledged to hire at least 160,000 more in the years ahead.
More than 1,600 companies have been involved in this effort, including Microsoft, Comcast, Honeywell, Safeway and Sears. JPMorgan Chase and the 40 companies of the “100,000 jobs mission” hired more than 6,000 veterans -- alone – in the January-March 2012 timeframe.
The private sector is stepping up in a real way to support veterans and military spouses. For a full list of companies and their commitments please click HERE.

Brad Cooper is the Executive Director of Joining Forces

Michelle Obama's Message to Military Families: You Do Live in a Grateful Nation

Colleen Curtis

April 11, 2012
02:31 PM EDT

First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden today marked the one year anniversary of the launch of Joining Forces with an event on the South Lawn of the White House, and Mrs. Obama used the occasion to renew her call of action, and challenged all Americans to keep finding new ways to show their support for military families.
The First Lady told the crowd that over the past year, as she and Dr. Biden reached out on behalf of our military families, "not a single person that we've talked to, that we have approached, has told us that they could not help -- not a single person. We've asked; they said yes.

And the good thing is, is that once people get started, they just keep coming up with new ideas on their own. We’ll present something, and they double it. They want to do even more. They just keep raising their goals even higher. They just keep figuring out how to get more and more people involved."

And her message for all military families, is that "you do live in a grateful nation."

First Lady Michelle Obama at the Joining Forces Community Challenge event on the South Lawn

First Lady Michelle Obama greets guests following the Joining Forces Community Challenge event on the South Lawn of the White House, April 11, 2012. The event was a celebration for military families and organization leaders who have played key roles in supporting our nation’s troops, veterans and military families over the past year. (Official White House Photo by Sonya N. Hebert)

Today's event also honored the Joining Forces Community Challenge finalists, who Dr. Biden called "inspiring. These efforts aren’t always in the headlines, but they support our military families every single day in real and meaningful ways. That's exactly what the First Lady and I set out to accomplish with Joining Forces."
Later today, the First Lady and Dr. Biden will be in Philadelphia, where they will announce a commitment from more than 150 state and national nursing organizations and over 500 nursing schools to further educate our nation’s 3 million nurses so they are prepared to meet the unique health needs of service members, veterans, and their families.

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Joining Forces Launch

Happy Birthday: Joining Forces

Travel with the First Lady: Joining Forces Anniversary

April 19, 2012 | 5:12 | Public Domain

Welcome On Board with the First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama. The First Lady hit the road to mark the one year anniversary of Joining Forces, the nationwide intiative that she started with Second Lady and military mom Dr. Jill Biden. During the trip to highlight the progress the Joining Forces intiative has made in mobilizing communities to come together and provide Business, Education, and Health and Wellness opportunities to veterans and military families, The First Lady honored the Joining Forces Community Challenge winners, announced a new partnership to train 3 million nurses, stopped by The Colbert Report, celebrated the Joining Forces 50,000th hire and was joined by Ellen DeGeneres at an event honoring and recognizing the high school children of service members. http://www.joiningforces.gov

First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden celebrate the first anniversary of the Joining Forces initiative with events in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Pa., New York, N.Y., Shreveport, La., and Jacksonville, Fla.

First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden kick off a Joining Forces Community Challenge event to celebrate the first anniversary of the initiative on the South Lawn of the White House, April 11, 2012. The celebration focused on military families and organization leaders who have played key roles in supporting our nation’s troops, veterans and families. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

Sherman and Tammie Gillums look at their pictures with First Lady Michelle Obama as Mrs. Obama continues to greets guests at the Joining Forces Community Challenge event on the South Lawn of the White House, April 11, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Sonya N. Hebert)

First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden are introduced during a Joining Forces nurses event in the Irvine Auditorium at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pa., April 11, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

Participants listen as First Lady Michelle Obama delivers remarks during a Joining Forces nurses event in the Irvine Auditorium at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pa., April 11, 2012. The First Lady and Dr. Biden announced a major initiative by more than 150 of America’s leading nursing organizations and more than 450 nursing schools in 50 states and territories to ensure our nation’s nurses are prepared to help meet the unique health needs of service members, veterans, and their families. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden participate in a Joining Forces nurses event in the Irvine Auditorium at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pa., April 11, 2012. Nursing leaders have committed to educating current and future nurses on how to recognize and care for those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, and other combat-related issues. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

Dr. Jill Biden greets guests following a Joining Forces event in the Irvine Auditorium at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pa., April 11, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

First Lady Michelle Obama participates in an interview with Stephen Colbert during a taping of “The Colbert Report” at the Colbert Report Studio in New York, N.Y., April 11, 2012. Family members of troops deployed to Afghanistan were part of the show's audience. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

First Lady Michelle Obama delivers remarks during an event announcing the 50,000th veteran or military spouse to have been hired by a company through the Joining Forces initiative, at Kansas City Southern Railroad Yard in Shreveport, La., April 12, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

First Lady Michelle Obama is briefed by Aaron Pinkston and Derrick Westervelt, producers for the “Ellen Show,” backstage before a Joining Forces event at Jacksonville Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Fla., April 12, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

Sailors wait on the edge of a aircraft hangar before the start of a Joining Forces event at the Jacksonville Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Fla., April 12, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

First Lady Michelle Obama participates in a prom fashion show segment during a a Joining Forces event at the Jacksonville Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Fla., April 12, 2012. Some 300 teenage girls from military families attended the event, which featured a surprise appearance by Ellen DeGeneres, gift cards from JC Penney, and a fashion show with Ann Shoket, Editor of Seventeen magazine.(Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

Audience members photograph during a Joining Forces event with First Lady Michelle Obama at the Jacksonville Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Fla., April 12, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

Choreographer Rosero McCoy teaches First Lady Michelle Obama and teen participants a dance during a Joining Forces Event at the Jacksonville Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Fla., April 12, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

Marking The First Anniversary Of Joining Forces

More pictures from the first year

Obama Forum on Women and the Economy

Feminist News

April-06-12

This morning, President Barack Obama, in addressing some 300 women leaders, activists, business leaders and entrepreneurs and academics at a White House Forum on Women and the Economy, emphasized the gains for women under his Administration, including increasing judicial appointments, preventive health care coverage, removal of sex discrimination in insurance pricing and saving teacher jobs. He said more jobs would have been saved for teachers and for construction workers if the House had passed his Jobs Act. In his remarks, the President spoke about women, now half of the nation's workforce and 30% of small businesses, as key to US economic growth. He emphasized the efforts of his Administration to ensure women's economic security, to create jobs, and business loans for women. Obama stressed equal pay for women is necessary for women, for families and the overall economic health of the country.

Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, who chairs the White House Council on Women and Girls and Tina Tchen, Executive Director of the Council and Chief of Staff to Michele Obama, announced the release of the Council's report "Keeping America's Women Moving Forward." Some achievements outlined in the report include: $4.5 billion for 16,000 loans for women-owned small businesses; summer employment for more than 185,000 low-income young women; and, subsidized employment for over 215,000 women. An additional 400,000 jobs were added or saved for teachers, some 70% of whom are women, under the Recovery Act and the Education Jobs Fund.

In reviewing women's advancements under his Administration, Obama told the participants that 20.4 million women are already benefiting from expanded preventive health care services such as mammograms and breast and cervical cancer screenings under the Affordable Care Act and 2.3 million women have received college loans through the expansion of the Pell Grant program.

The morning's program included breakout sessions with Attorney General Eric Holder and White House Advisor on Domestic Violence Lynn Rosenthal, Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius and Deputy Assistant to the President on Health Policy Jeanne Lambrew, and Cecilia Munoz, Domestic Policy Council Director. At the breakout session on violence, Eleanor Smeal, Feminist Majority Foundation (FMF) President, thanked the Attorney General for the recent modernization of the FBI Uniform Crime Report Definition of Rape to include most rapes. The FMF had led, with the Women's Law Project, the Rape is Rape Campaign to change the archaic 1927 definition of rape.
Media Resources: Council on Women and Girls Report Keeping America's Women Moving Forward

Womens Report Final for Print

Women and the Economy

Apr 6, 2012

White House

Panelists talked about women and the economy. Topics included entrepreneurship and workplace flexibility.

• Moderator: Mika Brzezinski of MSNBC's Morning Joe
• Panelists:
o Director of the National Economic Council Gene Sperling
o Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Karen Mills
o CEO of Deloitte Joe Echevarria
o Princeton University Lawrence and Shirley Katzman and Lewis and Anna Ernst Professor in the Economics of Education and Professor of Economics and Public Affairs, Cecilia Rouse.